Responsibility
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on October 30, 1989
Readings: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; Paul to Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; and Luke 18:9-14
Fr. Healy begins this homily by discussing the death of his beloved sister, Sally. Through the experience of Sally’s death, the Healy family gatthered to share favorite family stories, including who among the many Healy children, was the favorite. In today’s gospel we are reminded that the least among us are loved most by God. Furthermore, Fr. Healy reminds us that we are to be the one that shows the marginalized that God loves them. We must be God’s presence in this world to our brothers and sisters. Indeed, God demands this of us in our acts and deeds and we must lay aside our comparisons with others.
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on January 26, 1992
Readings: Nehemiah 8:2-4, 5-6, 8-10; Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
In this week’s homily, we are asked to imagine that we are a Jew waiting for the Messiah in order to fully comprehend the power of the Gospel story where Jesus announces that he is the Messiah for whom the Jews had been waiting. We are asked to think about the part of us that wants the responsibility of living The Good News to be for someone else, but not ourselves. Today, in the second reading, we are reminded that we are part of the body of Christ. There is no insignificant part of the body. As such, we must be the living Christ to our sisters in brothers around the world. We are anointed. We are called. We will never have the perfection of Jesus. We will be misunderstood, rejected, ignored, or even stopped in our attempts, but we must continue to try.
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Originally delivered on November 19, 1989
Readings: Malachi 3:19-20; Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21: 5-19
In this week’s Gospel, we hear Fr. Healy’s anger and passion regarding the murder of fellow priest, Segundo Montes, S.J., in El Salvador just three days before the homily was delivered. He goes on to talk about what the financial realities were with Duquesne University and the Washington Office on Haiti. We are reminded that ten years earlier, Archbishop Oscar Romero was also murdered because he fought for the poor. He goes on to remind us that this week’s Gospel tells us that horrible things will happen, including death for some. Despite these things, we are called to bear witness and to stand up for our sisters and brothers. Indeed, we must bring light to every area of government and society where injustice exists. Are we willing to get into a little bit of trouble, in the name of Jesus?
3rd Sunday of Easter
Originally delivered on May 2, 1992
Readings: Acts of Apostles 5:27-32, 40-41; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 or 21:1-14
In this homily, we hear of the tragedy of the riots in Los Angeles in 1992 and Fr. Healy’s struggle to understand the riots in light of the Easter allelujah that he felt during the season. From the first reading, we are reminded that we, like the apostles, sometimes may get into trouble doing the work that we are called to do. In the second reading, we hear again that Jesus will triumph. Finally, in the Gospel, through the story of Jesus meeting Peter fishing, we are reminded of Jesus’ forgiveness and our responsibility to serve others. The racial riots in Los Angeles is another reason to know that we still have an unjust society and that we must confront those injustices if we say that we are true witnesses of Jesus. What are our present day events that show the injustices that remain? How are we changing societal structures and ensuring that all people are included? These are the questions that we must consistently ask ourselves as believers in Jesus’ Resurrection.
3rd Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 19, 1995
Readings: Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9
In this week’s homily, Fr. Healy talks about the role of the preacher to be a messenger of Jesus’s message. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us not to do the simplistic thing of blaming people for their struggles. We are called to love each and every person. We must stop blaming God and take responsibility for our collective circumstances.
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44
Originally delivered on November 10, 1991
Fr. Healy begins this homily with a family story of his Aunt Kate. In this Gospel from Mark we hear how to live, and not live, a religious life. Indeed, we are called to give, like the widow, from our “substance” rather than just what is comfortable. We are therefore challenged to allow ourselves to respond to human situations not from what is practical, but what our hearts tell us to do. Are we giving from our substance? If so, then we never have to fear how it looks to more practical people. We are already forgiven by God, but are we living as though we’ve heard Jesus’s message that our actions toward our sisters and brothers in need?
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45
Originally delivered on October 20, 1991
In today’s homily, Fr. Healy reminds us that the not only does God exist, but that God loves us as we are. Jesus became human, and as it says in the second reading, he was tempted but never sinned, and yet, we are always forgiven. Indeed, Fr. Healy passionately insists that God doesn’t just have love and mercy, but is love and mercy. And yet, we are not able to merely rest on that love because, as we hear in the gospel, we also have a responsibility to care for our sisters and brothers. We are called to let go of earthly things (e.g., money and power) and be servants to others until everyone in the family has a fair share of God’s blessings.
10th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Readings: Genesis 3:9-15; Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35
Originally delivered on June 9, 1991
Today we are asked to let go of our excuses for our failings and sins. We are also challenged to work to transform the earth to be that envisioned by Jesus. Fr. Healy passionately urges us to consider how racism still exists and to find our voices and take action to eliminate this sin in our society.
4th Sunday of Lent
Originally delivered on March 13, 1988
Readings: Chronicles 36:14-17, 19-23; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21
In today’s Gospel from John, we hear, “Everyone who practices evil hates the light; he does not come near it for fear his deeds will be exposed. But he who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God.” Fr. Healy, through his own family story, reminds us how difficult it is to stand up for what we believe. Sometimes, we must give up the shelter and comfort of the hiding in the darkness. Indeed, in today’s Gospel, we are called to stand in the light and stand up for truth.
Weekly Homilies 